The Kentucky Supreme Court announced Wednesday that the Judicial Branch will shut down for three days as part of a budget reduction plan.

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That means employees will not be paid for those days.

This is the first time in Kentucky's modern court history that the Judicial Branch will have to close courthouse doors statewide to help balance the budget.

"Without a doubt (it's) the worst financial situation that we have faced," said Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr.

The Kentucky General Assembly has reduced the total funds available to the Judicial Branch by $25.2 million.

The cut comes in time for the 2013 fiscal year, and furlough days are part of the branch's budget reduction plan.

"I think it comes as no great shock to us that we have cut, and cut, and cut. We cut fat before and we're now cutting bone," said Minton.

A furlough is a form of leave without pay, and employees were notified by email on Wednesday that they will take three of those days in a six month period.

The three furlough days are Aug. 6, Sept. 4 and Oct. 15 of this year, affecting about 3,300 non-elected employees.

"We were trying to spread it out so that they wouldn't fall in pay periods to devastate," said Minton.

In addition to furlough days, the state will also implement hiring restrictions, limit the number of drug court participants, eliminate the high school mock trial program and cut the number hours for part time employees and their benefits in June 2013.

Minton said service to the public will be affected in all Kentucky counties.

"Trying to be as humane as we can be with our employees, and as realistic as we can be with the deficit that we have to make up," said Minton.

Minton did say that no decisions have been made for the following fiscal year, but he also said that they will be revisiting the situation in January, pointing out that it could mean even more furlough days.

Kentucky's court system has 403 elected employees. Their salaries legally cannot be reduced.

But Minton said they can each choose to return their pay for those three furlough days.